The bulbospongiosus muscle is one of the superficial muscles of the perineum. This muscle is innervated by the deep/muscular branch of the perineal nerve, which is a branch of the pudendal nerve. This muscle has a slightly different origin, insertion and function in males and females. In both sexes, however, bulbospongiosus muscle is important to normal sexual function and feelings, as well as urinary function. In males the bulbospongiosus muscle contributes to erection, ejaculation, and the feelings of orgasm. In females bulbospongiosus muscle closes the vagina and contributes to the feelings of orgasm.
The bulbocavernosus reflex (BCR) is a distinct, automatic (reflex) contraction of the rectum (part of the bowel) that occurs when the tip of the penis (in a man) or clitoris (in a woman) is squeezed or stimulated. In more technical terms, the bulbocavernosus reflex is a multi-synaptic reflex, and measurements of this reflex can provide indications of various neurological abnormalities in and around the pelvic floor, and the lower spinal region of a patient. For example, the integrity of afferent and efferent segments through sacral spinal segments (S2-S4) and pudendal nerve may be determined by such BCR measurements. Additionally, several levels of BCR abnormalities have been reported in cases with impotence when cauda equina or conus medullaris lesions are present, or when neurogenic bladder related to polyneuropathy is detected. Such BCR abnormalities appear as no BCR response, a prolonged latency in BCR response, or a temporal latency dispersion occurring in repetitive measurements. Moreover, a BCR response, if prolonged, can be an indication of pelvic nerve damage in patients with pelvic floor disorders.
It is known to use measurements of the BCR for diagnosis and treatment of various pelvic floor disorders, including those disorders mentioned above. Such measurements may be collected from, e.g., urethral and/or anal sphincters after stimulation of the dorsal nerve of the penis or clitoris via activation of electrodes appropriately attached to a patient. Additionally, such measurements have been obtained using EMG (electromyogram) testing. The following references are fully incorporated herein by reference for further description of EMG and the use of electrodes for diagnosing patient disorders:    U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,202 which discloses an electrode and array thereof for collecting surface electromyographic signals.    D. Prutchi in the publication “A High-Resolution Large Array (HRLA) EMG System” published September 1995 in Med. Eng. Phys., Vol. 17, 442-454. Prutchi describes a bracelet which may be wrapped about a body limb and which contains 256 surface electrodes to record the electrical activity of underlying muscles. The electrodes are arranged in eight groups of thirty-two electrode linear arrays directly connected to buffer boards in close proximity of the electrodes. Further processing of the electrical signals is performed to provide a desired signal analysis, in this instance primarily being concerned with the bidirectional propagation of a compound potential in a single muscle in the upper arm of a human subject or a histogram of total power contribution from active fibers in a subject muscle, both being presented in charted format.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,779 to DeLuca, et al., describes a back analysis system of plural electrodes coupled to a computer system for processing the signals and to provide graphical representations of results. DeLuca's invention relates primarily to isolating particular muscle groups by the use of support and restraint devices which limit the movement of the patient's torso in predetermined patterns correlated to the desired muscle groups. DeLuca's electrode array consists of separate electrodes individually placed at desired locations on a patient's back.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,602 to Brody describes a method of electromyographic scanning of paravertebral muscles comprising measuring electrical potentials bilaterally across segments of the spine. Readings are categorized into different patterns which are indicative of different muscular conditions. Brody suggests equipment useful within his described techniques as an available EMG scanner having electrodes spaced 2.5 cm apart and a computer component, but provides few details on the equipment or an indication of usefulness for isolating certain muscles or muscle groups.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,039 to Kadefors, et al., describes a method and apparatus for detecting electromyographic signals, processing them and providing an indication of the change of the signal from a predetermined norm. Kadefors' electrode system comprises three electrodes, one of which is a reference marker. This electronic apparatus, in essence, includes a sample and hold function in which current responses can be compared to earlier responses and an indication provided based on the differences detected.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,208 to Toormin, et al., describes a method for determining the status of back muscles wherein EMG signals are monitored from a number of electrodes placed in a pattern on a patient's back, the activity of each electrode is determined and the results stored. A database of results provides a standard from which comparisons can be made to determine deviations or abnormalities, as a device for the care and management of the patient's dysfunction.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,651 to Cusimano, et al., describes a portable electronic instrument for monitoring muscle activity, using standard ECG electrodes and a computer for analyzing the detected signals. The electrodes are applied individually at predetermined locations and a range of motion device is employed to generate signals related to a particular muscle group. Output plots are produced to provide an indication of results, apparently in the form of printouts of information reflecting any deviations from the norm of expected muscle activity.
Additional prior art references describing the use of the bulbocavernosus reflex for assessing patient dysfunctions are as follows, these references being fully incorporated herein by reference as well:    Sarica Y, Karacan I, “Bulbocavernosus reflex to somatic and visceral nerve stimulation in normal subjects and in diabetics with erectile impotence”, Journal of Urology, July 1987; 138 (1): 55-8;    Ertekin C, Akyurekli O, Gurses A N, Turgut H, “The value of somatosensory-evoked potentials and bulbocavernosus reflex in patients with impotence”, Acta Neurol Scand., January 1985; 71 (1): 48-53;    Ziemann U, Reimers C D. “Anal sphincter electromyography, bulbocavernosus reflex and pudendal somatosensory evoked potentials in diagnosis of neurogenic lumbosacral lesions with disorders of bladder and large intestine emptying and erectile dysfunction”, Nervenarzt, February 1996; 67 (2): 140-6;    Lavoisier P, Proulx J, Courtois F, De Carufel F, “Bulbocavernosus reflex: its validity as a diagnostic test of neurogenic impotence”, Journal of Urology, February 1989; 141 (2): 311-4;    Vodusek D B, Janko M, Lokar J., “EMG, single fibre EMG and sacral reflexes in assessment of sacral nervous system lesions”, Journal of Neurological Neurosurgery Psychiatry, November 1982; 45 (11): 1064-6.
However, prior art procedures and apparatuses for obtaining such BCR measurements have been less than satisfactory, e.g., in their ease of use, and the discomfort caused to patients. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a non-invasive method and system for accurately detecting characteristics of the BCR response, such as latency in response, lack of response, abnormal reflex contractions, wherein such characteristics of the BCR are correlated with likely physiological and/or neurological dysfunctions.